How to Say I'm Sorry
by Kristen3
Summary: AU continuation of "First Temptation of Daphne." Daphne surprises Niles with a romantic dinner to apologize, and he, in turn, surprises her with his reaction. One-shot.


**Author's Note:** The final scene of "First Temptation of Daphne" is one of my favorites ever. But I also noticed it could be continued, and this resulted. As usual, I came up with most of it as I went along. Enjoy. :)

Daphne looked at the table, hoping that everything was perfect. Things between her and Niles had been a bit difficult lately. Daphne knew it was all her own fault. Her insecurities about her relationship had led her to cross a major boundary. She had spied on one of Niles' female patients, because she suspected something might be going on between patient and therapist.

She understood now how ridiculous that was. Niles loved _her_ , as he always had. It was something she could never deserve. Niles had been very sweet and reassuring. But still, she could tell he hadn't quite forgiven her yet. She couldn't blame him, considering the risk to his profession. Now, she wanted to give him an evening he'd never forget, one that would completely make up for what she'd done, and put the whole mess behind them.

As she put the final touches on the meal, she made a mental note to thank Frasier. He had helped her decide what to serve. Who would know better about the fancy foods Niles preferred than his own brother?

Suddenly, from behind, she heard the door open. She felt a rush of nervousness. She hadn't expected him home for a few more minutes.

"Daphne?" Niles was alarmed, seeing that Daphne seemed on edge.

"Hello, Darling," Daphne smiled, making her way over to him. She kissed him for a long moment.

Niles had to catch his breath as the kiss ended. "What was that for?" Then he noticed the table, beautifully set, with a pair of candles flickering in the center. "And that?" He pointed.

"This is a romantic dinner. My way of saying 'I'm sorry.'"

"Oh, Daphne," Niles said, embracing her once more. "You've already apologized. And besides, it was as much my fault as it was yours. I never told you that I've literally never felt this way before."

"I love you," Daphne said, touching her forehead to his. "I guess I still felt like I wasn't good enough. I don't know what you see in me. I thought if someone else came along..."

"Daphne, no one could ever come between us. I got involved with Maris and Mel quickly. Too quickly, I now realize. But with you, I had to wait. For years, I could give you nothing but friendship. During that time, I got to know you. I didn't see just a pretty face. I saw the kindest person I've ever known."

Niles' words melted Daphne's heart. If she'd had any doubts that Niles was the man for her, they were now long gone. She could only put her arms around him. As she held him, she silently thanked fate, or whatever force had brought this man into her life.

"Daphne, as much as I'm enjoying this, I am rather hungry," Niles said. "It certainly looks like you went to an awful lot of trouble here."

"Your brother helped," Daphne admitted. "I know I'm not really any good at cooking the kind of food you like. I can't pronounce half the things you talk about!" She laughed nervously.

"See? _That_ 's why I love you," Niles said, finally taking his place at the table. "My world has always revolved around impressing people, going to the right parties, and making sure I got a good position in the wine club. But you are a breath of fresh air. You've shown me that life is about so much more than those things."

Daphne reached across the table, putting her hand in his. "And you've introduced me to a whole world I never even knew about before. It's almost like..." She blushed, unable to finish the sentence. "Never mind."

"What, Daphne? What were you going to say?"

"No. you're going to to say I'm daft. It's silly. Just forget I said anything."

"I won't judge you. You can tell me anything. I'm a psychiatrist, remember?" He smiled at her, thinking of how all of this had started because of his profession.

"Well, all right. I was going to say, it's like a fairytale. You've given me so much."

"Daphne, believe me, what I've given you isn't a tenth of what you deserve." He couldn't take his eyes off her. The candles between them made her eyes shine even more than usual. After a moment, he realized he hadn't even touched the meal she'd worked so hard to prepare. He took a bite, sighing. A gourmet meal was always wonderful, but to know that this had been given with love made it even more special.

"I'm glad you like it," Daphne said. "I was a bit nervous. But your brother assured me you would love it."

"I do," Niles said. "And all the more because _you_ made it."

Daphne blushed. "Well, that's not entirely true. I did have some help from several caterers. I could never cook this well."

"No matter who made this food, you were still the one who decided to surprise me like this. Thank you."

"It was the least I could do," Daphne replied, blushing. "After I nearly ruined your career."

Niles winced, remembering how close Daphne had come to causing a very real disaster. But then he quickly reminded himself that nothing like that had actually happened. "Daphne, I just want to forget this whole ordeal. What's done is done."

"All right, then," Daphne nodded. "I'll never bring it up again."

The two ate in silence for the next several minutes. Niles looked up at her again, amazed by how beautiful she was. No matter how often he saw her, he could still never quite believe it. It wasn't just her physical beauty which astonished him. It was _her_ , the way he felt when he was near her. Suddenly, he realized it was a feeling he wanted to have for the rest of his life. And there was only one way he could think of to make that happen. "Daphne, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Daphne replied. "You can ask me anything."

Niles reached across the table, gently grabbing her hand. "I'm sorry I can't do this better. I hadn't really planned it until just this moment. But this feels right, so I don't care. I'm going to say this now. Our love really is different. It's been tested in a way that none of my former relationships have been. After all we've been through, we're still here. We're together. I think it's a sign. Daphne...will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

Whatever Daphne had been expecting him to say, that hadn't been it. "Oh, Niles...of course." Overcome with emotion, she got up from her seat. She walked over to where Niles sat, sitting on his lap. This close, he was even more handsome than he'd been a moment ago. Soon, his arms were around her, and they were kissing more passionately than ever. As she felt his lips on hers, Daphne remembered what she'd said earlier about their love being like a fairytale. _It really must be true_ , she thought. _Because this is definitely a happy ending_.

 **The End**


End file.
